


Mechanical Mishap

by BlackPencilKitten



Series: Loqi Week 2018 [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 10:54:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15993719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackPencilKitten/pseuds/BlackPencilKitten
Summary: “You already have it straight, is there even a point in asking?” From Loqi’s position, he couldn’t see Ravus at all, and he fully intended on making sure it stayed that was for as long as possible.“As your supervisor, it’s my job. As your higher up, it’s still my job. As your rival, it’s because I enjoy seeing you suffer.”





	Mechanical Mishap

**Author's Note:**

> Day 5 Prompts: Duty and/or Trapped with Another Person

Luck, in his opinion, was a concept created to write off hard work and dedication, to devalue the accomplishments of others as things done merely by being  _ lucky _ . It was used to avoid blame, to write off one’s current status as simply being  _ unlucky _ , instead of unqualified or inexperienced. Luck, destiny, fate, karma, he considered all of it--for lack of a better word--absolute hogwash. No one got anywhere through sheer luck alone, no, it was a combination of determination, hard work, and chance--and there is a difference between luck and chance, mind you. Chance is the name for events just happening, Luck is a pathetic attempt at explaining  _ why _ .

However, if luck would make a rather embarrassing situation more tolerable, especially one he’s unprepared to handle, then perhaps Loqi would believe in it, at least until it is over.

“Don’t. Even. Start.”

“You are not in a position to tell me what to do, now, are you?”

Of course, today was one of the few days he got assigned a mission out in the field, and either this was new protocol he hadn’t been told about or it was some kind of sick joke, because who else to ‘supervise’ him but the High Commander himself. Astrals, he hoped this was a joke, because then he could blame it on the Chancellor--it was always the Chancellor, no doubts about it. He found others’ suffering entertaining, and what better to do than stick two people who absolutely despise each other in a mech, then make them unable to get out. Nothing’s better, at least that he can immediately think of, and on that note he doesn’t  _ want _ there to be anything better. Or worse. Or anything really.

“Now,” Ravus began, lounging on a small couch-- _ Loqi’s _ couch, that he was forced to  _ ‘share’ _ for the time being-- “let me get this straight.”

“You already have it straight, is there even a point in asking?” From Loqi’s position, he couldn’t see Ravus at all, and he fully intended on making sure it stayed that was for as long as possible. He mentally noted to add an ejection feature to his mech, in case situations like this happened again so he could immediately  _ ditch them _ .

“As your supervisor, it’s my job. As your higher up, it’s still my job. As your rival, it’s because I enjoy seeing you suffer.”

“You sound more like the Chancellor every week. When will you reveal yourself as his clone, I wonder.” Leaning back in his seat, Loqi pinched the bridge of his nose, resisting the rising urge to sigh. Sighing wasn’t professional. Acting like a douchebag wasn’t either, but of course the high commander could get away with it.

While a clipboard, paper and pen were certainly not protocol, it was rather fun watching those in the lower rankings squirm, especially Loqi, as hard as he tried to hide it. Before replying, Ravus finished a doodle of Loqi with comically large, angry eyebrows--although in his opinion, it was simply reality.

“As I was saying, you’ve told me that you do your own maintenance on your mech, correct?”

“Correct.” From Loqi’s point of view, Ravus had everything handed to him on a silver platter embroidered with gold, all for being the prince of Tenebrae, the Oracle’s brother, and nothing else. He wasn’t sure he’s ever  _ seen _ Ravus actively working, while Loqi worked day in and out to get to his position as brigadier general and to keep it. If taking care of his own mech made people respect him even more, then by the Astrals he would do it  _ and he would do it well _ .

“And, as you’ve  _ kindly _ explained, you routinely check up on it, right?”

Ramuh strike him where he was.

“Every morning and every evening, unless I’m needed elsewhere.”

“So--” Ravus drew a series of scribbles across the page in an attempt to scare his subordinate, and from how Loqi stiffened slightly, it was working. “--would you like to explain why the door leading out of this mech of yours is  _ jammed _ ?”

This time, Loqi did sigh, and though he hated the word, perhaps if he was  _ lucky _ they would forget this inconvenience ever happened once they got out. If they got out--no, they would get out, because if they didn’t one of them was going to end up dead. Hopefully Ravus, because if not and he refuses to forget, Loqi will take that damned clipboard of his and give him a concussion.

“You’re not going to like the answer.”

“Which is…?”

Ravus started to tap the end of his pen against his clipboard, while letting out a curious, but snarky hum. His neutral expression turned into a smug smirk as Loqi sat up in his seat, posture rigid in what could only be an attempt to seem  _ professional _ and certainly not  _ nervous _ . His crossed arms and the way his fingers tapped against said arms, however, suggested more of the latter.

“I don’t know.”

Humming in mock confusion and scribbling some more onto his clipboard, Ravus changed his position to appear less like someone trying to woo their lover and more like a reporter who  _ insists _ on hearing every possible detail. Really, people will  _ love it _ , especially the Chancellor who’s practically a reporter already with how much info he digs up.

“And why don’t you?”

“I don’t know!” Loqi repeated, throwing his hands up in an act of rage. “It was working fine this morning, and last night, and yesterday morning! There is no reason it shouldn’t be working and yet it isn't!”

Punching something or some _ one _ sounded like a wonderful idea, but starting a fight would only make matters worse. Besides, he couldn’t have anything in his precious mech destroyed by Ravus or himself.

_ ‘General Loqi or General Dumbass?’ _ Ravus wrote underneath his previous doodle of him.

“All official mech pilots have a standardized keycard for these situations, do they not?”

“Do you have eyes, or is your memory so bad you can’t remember me  _ trying my keycard directly in front of you? _ ”

“I asked you a question, not for your attitude.”

Loqi turned to glare at Ravus, who was now studying his nails with a bored expression. The dramatic bastard. Loqi returned to his original position, searching his mind for something witty to say. For once, it didn’t fail him.

“Then here’s my answer: Use your brain or get slain.”

For someone taller than him and inside his Loqi Sized mech, Ravus was lightning fast to have his sword at Loqi’s throat, whose own sword remained at his side. His hands were up in mock submission as he maintained a smug expression.

“Sorry, did I hit a nerve?”

“‘Use your brain or get slain,’ or do you ignore your own rules alongside Niflheim’s-- _ look at me while I’m talking to you. _ ” Ravus forces Loqi’s chin up, delighting in how he winced as his saber cut a thin line up his throat.

“I tire of your ceaseless disrespect. Get your act together and unlock the door, or your body will be added to the rations.”

Loqi opened and closed his hands in a mocking gesture, adding in an eye roll and what was the start of an obnoxious mimicry of Ravus’ voice. He quickly shut up when Ravus pressed his sword even harder against his throat, and he swallowed down building anxiety before glaring at him.

“Get your sword away from my throat and maybe I will.”

Ravus pretended to think about it, and he even faked pulling his sword away a bit before cutting another line into Loqi’s throat. He smirked as Loqi’s glare faltered to a wince, his attention turning to the sword and not its wielder.

“Drop the attitude.”

“Drop. The.  _ Sword _ .”

His eyebrows rose, and Ravus leaned in towards Loqi, dragging the tip of his sword up the underside of his jaw. Loqi’s eyes flickered rapidly between Ravus and the rest of his mech, his heart pounding in his chest. At this proximity he knew it was impossible to hide his rising blush, and all he can do at this point is gulp.

“Do you have any  _ manners,  _ **_Loqi_ ** ?”

If he’s lucky, maybe he can erase the mech’s communication logs before Ardyn, or anyone, hears them.

“ **_Please_ ** _. Drop. The Sword.” _

At last, his neck was free from its holdup, and Loqi immediately covered it with his hand. He got out of his seat and backed himself against the wall opposite Ravus to recover, watching him cautiously. Ravus simply tilted his head as he put away his sword, his smirk faint but still there. Not even a minute passed before Loqi made his way to the door--eyes locked with the commander’s--before he swiped his keycard.

The door didn’t open.

“Did you memorize it  _ that time _ ,  **_Commander_ ** ?”

“Indeed.” Ravus rested his hand on the hilt of his blade, amused at how Loqi glanced at it in fear. The keycard caught his attention, and if his memory proved correct,  _ it wasn’t facing the right way.  _ “Are you sure you scanned the right side?”

“How much of a  _ fool _ do you take me as?”

“A massive one, but better one that admits his mistakes than one that digs himself a deeper grave.” Loqi narrowed his eyes at him, still cautiously looking between Ravus’ face and sword. Stubborn and embarrassed, in an attempt to save himself any further embarrassment he presented the keycard to Ravus.

“Well then, I await your confession. Test your theory yourself, unless you forgot your own independence.”

Loqi’s hands were up before Ravus pulled his sword out an inch, and after a smug look, he returned it before taking the keycard. Loqi crossed his arms defensively afterwards.

“ _ Gladly.” _

Flipping the card over, Ravus waited a few seconds for added dramatic effect before scanning the card.

The door opened.

If Ravus could get any smugger, he did, while Loqi got three shades redder and the most embarrassed-but-played-off-as-rage expression on his face.

“You were saying-”

_ “Get the  _ **_fuck_ ** _ out.” _

“Language, Loqi.” Ravus chided before tossing the keycard back over to him, ducking as he stepped out of the mech at last. As Loqi stomped over somewhere in his mech, Ravus took the time to take a deep, satisfying breath of fresh air.

Much better than that stuffy old mech.

Right as he realized he had forgotten something, Loqi stepped out of the mech with that exact something, now sporting his own smug look.

“‘General Dumbass’ and a childish picture of myself? How  _ mature,  _ **_Ravus_ ** .”

With a short, swift  _ “Give me that” _ Ravus snatched the clipboard from Loqi’s hands, looking away and hoping his hair helped hide the faint pink of his cheeks.

“One word of this to the others and I’ll make sure you don’t live another day.”

“I’ll think about it. One word of the situation in the mech and I’ll make sure the entirety of Niflheim knows that you  _ doodle rather  _ **_flattering_ ** _ pictures of your colleagues _ .”

“ _ I’ll think about it.” _


End file.
